ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Vice President's Secretariat
Vice President greets people on the eve of Republic Day
The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has greeted the people on the joyous occasion of Republic Day. In a message, he said that the celebrations reaffirm our commitment towards our Constitution and revalidate our faith in the cherished ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice for all.
Following is the text of Vice President’s message:
“I convey my warm greetings and best wishes to all our citizens on the joyous occasion of Republic Day.
Republic Day Celebrations reaffirm our commitment towards our Constitution and revalidate our faith in the cherished ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice for all, as enshrined in our Constitution.
On this joyous occasion, let us celebrate the achievements of our country and solemnly resolve to dedicate ourselves towards building a peaceful, harmonious and progressive India.”
Ministry of Home Affairs
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah congratulates Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar on his election as Vice President of India
It is a matter of joy for the Nation that a farmer's son, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has been elected as the Vice President of India
Shri Dhankhar has been constantly connected with the people in his long public life, his understanding of basic issues and his experience will definitely benefit the Upper House
The Home Minister said that as Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar will prove to be an ideal guardian of the Constitution, and congratulated him on his victory
Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, he thanks NDA allies, other parties and members of Parliament for their support to Shri Dhankhar
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah has congratulated Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar on his election as Vice President of India. In a series of tweets, Shri Amit Shah said “It is a matter of joy for the Nation that a farmer's son, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar has been elected as the Vice President of India. Shri Dhankhar has been constantly connected with the people in his long public life, his understanding of basic issues and his experience will definitely benefit the Upper House.”
The Union Home Minister said that “As Vice President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar will prove to be an ideal guardian of the Constitution, I congratulate him on this victory. Also, under the leadership of Modi ji, I thank NDA allies, other parties and members of Parliament for supporting Dhankhar ji.”
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Shri Gangwar, inaugurates newly constructed building of Labour Bureau
Minister of State  for Labour and Employment Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, inaugurated the newly constructed building of Labour Bureau, Shram Bureau Bhawan in Chandigarh today. Shri Heeralal Samarya, Secretary, Labour and Employment and DG Labour Bureau DPS Negi were also present on the occasion.
Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar said on the occasion that data on all aspects of labour is crucial to serve as inputs in policy making and this justifies the existence of an organization like Labour Bureau dedicated to labour statistics. With the ever increasing importance of data in the times to come coupled with the fact that India is a labour abundant nation, a dedicated organization for labour statistics like the Bureau merits strengthening.
Shri Gangwar said this year, the Bureau is making impressive strides on all the fronts. From the launch of a much needed logo after 100 years of its existence to moving to a new building and most importantly to being entrusted with two big surveys on professional bodies and domestic workers. He said Labour Bureau has been mandated the task of collection of data on recently proposed four labour codes.
Haryana, Labour Minister Shri Anoop Dhanak, and Punjab, Labour Minister, Shri Balbir Singh Sidhu, said that state nodal officers of Department of Economic & Statistical Analysis and the Labour Department, Haryana have been pillars of regional support and undertook fieldwork on behalf of Labour Bureau on numerous occasions in the past.
The Bureau is highly acclaimed at national and international level for its price indices, administrative statistics and labour related surveys data. Labour Bureau brings out CPI-IW index on monthly basis which is used for regulation of Dearness Allowance and wages of millions of workers and employees belonging to Central and State Governments in the Country. Besides the CPI-IW, the Bureau compiles the CPI-AL/RL index which is used for fixation of minimum wages in scheduled employments in rural areas under the Minimum Wages Act 1948, MGNREGA wages and revision of cooking cost under mid-day meal scheme, fixation of procurement/minimum support prices , undertaking cost studies, estimating poverty in rural areas.
The Bureau is also recognised for unique surveys like the “occupational wage survey” which make it the lone organisation in India which has occupation wise wage data across wide ranging sectors. The Bureau is also repository of vital administrative statistics collected under the various Labour Acts.
Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi speaks on phone with His Excellency Yoon Suk-yeol, President-elect of the Republic of Korea
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi spoke on phone earlier today with His Excellency Yoon Suk-yeol, President-elect of the Republic of Korea.
Prime Minister congratulated H.E. Yoon on his victory in the recent Presidential elections of ROK.
The leaders agreed on the importance of further broadening and deepening the India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership, especially in the present global context. They discussed various sectors that offer potential for accelerated bilateral cooperation, and agreed to work together to this end.
The leaders also emphasised their desire to jointly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and ROK next year.
Prime Minister invited H.E. Yoon to visit India at his earliest convenience.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Citizens save around Rs. 600 crores till date during FY2018-19 under PMBJP: Shri Mansukh Mandaviya
Average monthly sales per Janaushadhi store touch Rs 1.50 lakh: BPPI survey
Calling the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana  a Silent revolution, Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Chemicals & Fertilizers, Shri Mansukh Mandaviya has, in a statement, said that Government of India’s endeavour to provide quality medicines at an affordable price is now making an impact on the lives of common masses. It is a revolution that is shaping the health of health care in India for common citizens, the Minister added.
Shri Mandaviya informed that in the financial year 2018-19 , the total sales of Janaushadhi medicines have crossed Rs. 150 crores. This has led to total savings of approximately Rs. 600 crores for common people, as these medicines are cheaper by 50% to 90% as compared to average market price of branded medicines. He also stressed on the excellent quality of PMBJP medicines as these are procured from only WHO-GMP certified manufacturers and each batch is tested at NABL accredited independent labs.
Informing that the number of Janaushadhi stores in the country has grown to more than 4300 in 640 districts, Shri Mandaviya noted that this scheme is providing a valuable source of self-employment with sustainable and regular earnings. The average monthly sales per store have grown to Rs. 1.50 lakh, as per a recent survey conducted by the Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India , the Minister added.
Laying down the future roadmap for the scheme, Shri Mandaviya said that by the end of 2018-19, the total number of Janaushadhi stores in the country would reach more than 5000 stores, with annual sales crossing Rs. 300 crores.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Maintaining supply of essential commodities during lockdown
As part of economic response to Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, the Government distributed foodgrains at the rate of 5 kg per person per month, and pulses at the rate of 1 kg per household per month, free of cost, to all beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act , 2013 under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana  for the period of eight months from April to November 2020. The Department of Consumer Affairs was entrusted with distribution of pulses. In phase - I of PMGKAY, out of the total allocation, 5,48,172.44 MT of pulses was distributed from April to June amongst 18.27 crore beneficiary households. Phase-II of PMGKAY has been extended upto November, 2020.
In addition, under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat , foodgrains at the rate of 5 kg per person per month, and pulses at the rate of 1 kg per household distributed, free of cost, to migrant workers who are not covered under NFSA for the period of two months from April to May 2020. Distribution of foodgrains and pulses under PMGKAY and ANB have contributed to ensuring the availability of essential food items during lockdown.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution, Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Measures for Care and Protection of Children
As per information received from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights , no such cases / reports regarding children forced to leave their homes for illegal child labour, smuggling and forced marriage during lockdown have come to the notice.
The State/UT-wise number of complaints relating to “Child kidnapping” received in NCPCR during the lockdown period and normal period respectively i.e. 2020-21, 2021-22 and the current year 2022-23  including from Uttar Pradesh is at Annexure-I.
The JJ Act, 2015 provides penal provisions for offences committed against the children, which includes employment of child for using of child for vending, peddling, carrying supplying or smuggling any intoxicating liquor, narcotic drug or psychotropic substance ; and exploitation of a child employee .
The JJ Act, 2015 has empowered the Child Welfare Committee to decide on matters relating to children in need of care and protection in the best interest of child. Under Section 27 of JJ Act, 2015, the State Government shall constitute one or more Child Welfare Committees for every district, for exercising the powers and to discharge the duties in relation to children in need of care and protection under the Act.
Ministry of Women and Child Development is supporting a Child Helpline as mandated under the Juvenile Justice  Act, 2015. Childline Services is defined under section 2 of the Act as a twenty-four hours emergency outreach service for children in crisis which links them to emergency or long-term care and rehabilitation service. At present, Childline is operational in 603 districts/locations and 138 Railway Stations in the country.
Further, a number of projects/ initiatives have also been undertaken under Nirbhaya Fund for strengthening the surveillance system for prevention of crimes against women and children. 330 Stations have been covered under the project of 'Integrated Emergency Response Management System  for installing CCTVs and monitoring rooms at Railway Stations. All 67 Stations have been commissioned under the project of 'Provision of Video Surveillance System’ at Konkan Railway Stations. 696 AHTUs are functional in districts of States & UTs ' under the project for 'Setting up/ strengthening Anti-Human Trafficking Units.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Prime Minister's Office
PM urges citizens to watch DD documentary on 'Dharohar Bharat Ki'
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has urged citizens to watch a two-part Doordarshan documentary on 'Dharohar Bharat Ki' which will be aired on DD national on 14th and 15th April at 8 PM.
In response to a tweet by Doordarshan, the Prime Minister said;
"A tribute to our heritage, our freedom fighters who sacrificed their all to secure our Independence and the valour of those who serve in uniform.
Do watch this two-part documentary on @DDNational on 14th and 15th April at 8 PM. #DharoharBharatKi"
President's Secretariat
PRIME MINISTER OF NEPAL CALLS ON THE PRESIDENT
H.E. Mr. Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, the Prime Minister of Nepal called on the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan today .
The President welcomed Prime Minister Prachanda and congratulated him on his appointment as Prime Minister of Nepal. She said that in view of his old association with India and his experience, India looks forward to a positive agenda in India-Nepal bilateral relations to take the age-old partnership to new heights. She expressed confidence that this visit would further strengthen the strong bond between the two countries.
The President noted that India-Nepal bilateral cooperation has gone from strength to strength in recent years. Trade between the two countries was maintained even during the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The President said that the open border between India and Nepal has encouraged tourism from both sides. She emphasised on the need of reviving the spiritual tourist circuit to promote people to people contact and tourism. She said that Sister City Agreements and improvement in financial connectivity can also boost tourism between our two countries.
The President said that Nepal is a priority for India. She added that India looks forward to furthering our development-partnership, including early completion of important projects.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Indian scientist develops novel method to improve accuracy and precision of nanomechanical testing technology
The new method enables faster testing of mechanical strength of extremely small volumes of materials for a wide range of fields from medicine to space
A novel method to test nanomechanical properties of materials at very minute scales with high precision and accuracy has been developed by an Indian scientist in collaboration with two international institutions.
The new methodology not only significantly improves the precision and accuracy of what is known as nanoindentation technique or testing of mechanical strength, but enables testing at much higher rates, thus facilitating high throughput.
With Conventional testing methods not always feasible at nano scales, which are usually of the order of 1/100th of the diameter of a human hair, the nanoindentation technique was invented by Dr. Warren Oliver  and Dr. John Pethica  in the 80s and the analysis procedure was proposed by Dr. Warren Oliver and Dr. George Pharr  in their seminal work which had a huge impact on a broad spectrum of scientific research.
The technique has been widely used to measure the strength of semiconductor devices and structural materials that have ubiquitously penetrated every aspect of our daily life through electronic gadgets. The technique has been used for a wide range of applications from identifying cancerous cells to establishing how meteorites are formed in deep space.
In developing the new methodology, Dr. Sudharshan Phani of the Advanced Nanomechanical Characterization  Centre at Centre for Engineered Coatings, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials , Hyderabad, collaborated with Dr Warren Oliver at KLA and Prof. George Pharr of Texas A & M University.
The novel approach involved a combination of extensive modeling and simulation to understand the material response during an indentation test and subsequent tailoring of the methodology to improve the precision and accuracy. The modeling results have also been validated by experiments under extreme conditions.
Setting the tone for high precision and high accuracy nanoindentation measurements at much higher rates than what is traditionally possible, the new methodology is expected to impact a broad spectrum of scientific research on measuring the strength of materials at small scales. The details of methodology have been recently published in the prestigious journal in the field of materials science, ‘Materials & Design’.
Publication links: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108923 & https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2020.108924
The plot clearly shows the significant reduction in the noise levels in the measurement with the new methodology
Ministry of Coal
Overall Coal Stock Reaches 88.01 MT Registering an Increase of 24.7%
Cumulative Coal Production During Current FY Records a Remarkable Growth of 10.52%
Coal Ministry Ensures Steady Supply of Coal to the Power Sector with a Notable Increase of 5.6% in Coal Dispatch
The Ministry of Coal continues to make remarkable strides in its pursuit of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' vision by ensuring energy security and enhancing coal production. The Ministry has achieved significant milestones that highlight its commitment to achieve these goals. The Ministry's dedication to sustaining an uninterrupted coal supply remains steadfast.
The overall coal stock position i.e., at Mines, TPPs  and transit etc., as on 23.08.23 reached 88.01 MT, indicating a substantial increase of 24.7% as compared to the stock of 70.61 MT on 23.08.22. This higher coal stock position indicates commitment of maintaining an ample supply of coal by the Ministry of Coal.
Additionally, the Pithead Coal Stock at Coal India Limited  as on 23.08.23 stands at 46.13 MT, showcasing a growth rate of 45.5% as compared to the stock of 31.70 MT on 23.08.2022. This upward trend highlights effective stock management strategies and operational efficiency.
In terms of Coal Dispatch to the power sector, the cumulative achievement for the FY 2023-24 as on 23.08.2023, amounted to 307.97 MT, registering a notable growth rate of 5.6% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year ensuring a steady supply of coal to meet the energy requirements of the power sector.
Overall, Cumulative Coal Production for FY 2023-24 has witnessed remarkable growth, with a production of 340.31 MT up to 23.08.2023, representing an impressive growth rate of 10.52% compared to the previous year's 307.92 MT up to 23.08.22. Furthermore, the Overall Coal Dispatch has seen a substantial increase, reaching 371.11 MT up to 23.08.2023. This represents a commendable growth rate of 9.58% compared to the previous year's dispatch of 338.66 MT till 23.08.22.
Coal Ministry is taking all necessary measures to promote sustainable growth in the coal sector through meticulous strategic planning and efficient execution to enhance domestic Coal Production capabilities. These efforts aim to strengthen the power sector in meeting the surging energy demands of the nation.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 
Cabinet approves creation of buffer stock of 40 LMT of sugar for a period of one year from 1st August 2019 to 31st July 2020
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs  chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals:
- Creation of buffer stock of 40 lakh metric tonnes  of sugar for one year and to incur estimated maximum expenditure of Rs.1674 crores for this purpose. However, based on the market price and availability of sugar, this may be reviewed by the Deptt. of Food and Public Distribution any time for withdrawal / modification.
- The reimbursement under the scheme would be met on quarterly basis to sugar mills which would be directly credited into farmers’ account on behalf of mills against cane price dues and subsequent balance, if any, would be credited to the mill’s account.
Benefits:
The decisions will lead to:
- improvement in the liquidity of sugar mills;
- reduction in sugar inventories;
- stabilization in sugar prices by alleviating of price sentiments in domestic sugar market and thereby facilitate timely clearance of cane price dues of farmers; and
- benefits for sugar mills in all sugarcane producing States, by way of clearing sugarcane price arrears of sugar mills
Background:
In the wake of sugar production during sugar season 2017-18  and sugar season 2018-19, and given the over-leveraged position in the industry and liquidity crunch, interventions have been taken from time to time by the Government to improve liquidity of the sugar mills enabling them to clear cane price arrears of farmers and also to stabilize sugar prices in the domestic market.
Creation of buffer stock of 30 LMT of sugar for one year from 1st July, 2018 to 30th June, 2019 was one of the various interventions which were made by the Government. Accordingly, the Scheme for creation and maintenance of buffer stock was notified on 15th June, 2019.
The buffer subsidy scheme announced in sugar season 2017-18 has expired on 30th June, 2019. However, ensuing sugar season 2019-20 is likely to commence with huge carryover/opening stock. As such, in order to maintain demand supply balance and to stabilize sugar prices, the Government has decided to create a buffer stock of 40 LMT of sugar for one year from 1st 2019 to 31st July 2020 for which Government would be reimbursing the carrying cost of about Rs. 1674 crore to participating sugar mills. This would improve the liquidity position of sugar mills. The reimbursement available under the scheme would be directly credited into farmers’ account on behalf of sugar mills against their cane price dues.